What's old is new again?

When I was in (back in what seems like 1847) Marines couldn't wear cammies or bags off base. The good news was that you didn't have to wear the ****-cutter (cover) either.

 

I agree... gas... lunch... or a quick errand shouldnt be a problem. Off base BARS...NO... grocery store...NO.... the MALL....NO.... but to and from work or the aforementioned.... I dont see a problem. I do remember when my brother was flying SH-60B's for the Navy that he would wear his Khakis to the base.. then change into his flight suit.... just seemed weird to me.

 

That is just completely idiotic! It's been threatened here at Oceana as well. I just don't see the issue in it, or why the AF, who is noteably more anal than the Navy and Marine Corps about most things, can wear their flight suits anywhere. I just laugh!

 

Yeah, just because there are troops in harms way everything else can just be forgotten until we are once again "at peace" and can turn our focus again to totally trivial matters.

 

That was not the intent of what Hacker was saying at all. Perhaps you might be able to enlighten us all on why not wearing cammies or flight suits off base contributes to good order and discipline or morale for that matter. Please....

 

It has everything to do with good order and discipline, and nothing at all to do with morale. It is about the image that the service, the Corps in this case, wishes to project. The rationale when I was on active duty was that cammies are a field uniform, not a uniform to project the Marine Corps image out in public. Is this rational? Does it matter if it is rational or not? Does the fact that there are men and women in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan (and who knows where else) mean that the services should turn a blind eye to the good order and discipline of the service men and women who are not so deployed? How does not allowing Marines Stateside to wear cammies in public effect those Marines involved in combat operations? The Commandant of the Marine Corps is Commandant to all Marines, not only the ones in combat (although I am sure that they are first in his thoughts).

Just my two cents.

Stonefly

Add/Edit: Perhaps you can enlighten me as to what the intent of Hacker's post was.

 

I tend to disagree here. When it comes to uniforms, regulations, or pretty much anything that has any sort of link to any part of the history of the Corps the Marines become more anal than anybody.

I'm sure any of the above posters that served in the Marine Corps can attest to being verbally berated by senior ranking Marines not even in their unit for the most 'trivial' of details. Ever have your radio on in your car and not hear colors sounded? How about taking a sip of water while you're walking? Anybody ever been told to put their cover on while in a car? Or had a Chief Warrant Officer stop his car to yell at you for five minutes because you didn't notice the faded blue sticker on his windshield and thus didn't render a proper salute?

And no, you're not just subject to these anal rules just in boot camp or your first year or two in the fleet. Every Marine is subject to this stuff. In fact, I've seen a LCpl correct (Tactfully mind you!) a Colonel for wearing his cover in an uncovered area. I'm not complaining by any means, this is the way things should be (In the Corps at least) but I think most soldiers and airmen (or sailors that aren't corpsman) don't realize how absolutely strict the Marine Corps is in every aspect of your day to day life, on duty or off.

P.S - Saying that we should completely forget about our stateside uniform regulations just because we're deployed in a combat situation is ridiculous.

*EDIT* - I completely agree with Stonefly. That is what I was trying to get across.

 

Hacker,

I think the AF Deployed AOR folks have it wrong- we are either in Garrison- allowed families and booze or we are in combat and most rules designed for Garrison don't apply. The USMC is correct, it's a Garrison issue they are re-emphasizing. Here's a good one- at the main OIF out of country but in theater base a fellow dreamed up a sign- "don't walk on the rocks due to erosion". It was a joke put in for the req'd in-brief for aircrew. After a few months the purity police started enforcing the erosion rule (which had spread by WOM in the chow halls...).

2 very different branches of service.

 

It by no means means that the Corps should turn a blind eye to good order and discipline...but what good does it accomplish by making life harder for people who have the utmost pride for their service? Those same people also have the utmost pride in the wear of their uniform. What harm is done by allowing a Marine to go grab a bite to eat on a drive home/lunch break, or pump gas? It doesn't have anything to do with the soldiers overseas either. What I'm pretty sure was meant, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that rather than taking away another ounce of freedom...spend more time worrying about what the real task at hand should be. If people were going out with their uniforms falling apart, torn, etc...then it's a respectable issue. And I don't think many would disagree with no going out for hours at a time in uniform, but a short lunch break? And people wonder why morale in a lot of places is shot to hell.

 

Spartan - The point is, what good does it serve to not allow service members the option of wearing their uniforms to/from work and to make quick stops when needed for gas/food etc. What bad can possibly come from a uniform worn properly in public. It isn't as if the Marine haircut doesn't give you away, or the sticker. While I don't agree that its ok to relax standards while at war, I think the standard is just "NON STANDARD" amongst the services and its moronic. I completely disagree with the policy and think it's a complete waste of paper and ink that it's written on. Am I saying you should wear the uniform you wore out in the field for the previous 2 weeks, no, not at all. I'm just saying common sense should apply.